Ladder attachment



Patented July 20, 1920.'

F. A. LEHMANN.

LADDER ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 16. i918. 1,346,831.

attent,

. 'm- 9 2, du 9M A v Il. .mw n A 8 7, ,Y M a l vlllllllmllll! I l0' Y use and durable in wear.

UNITED sTATEs FERDINAND A. LEHMANN, or OMAHAKNEBRASKA.'

FATENT OFFICE..

LADDER ATTACHMENT.

I l Specification of Letters Patent. i Patented 1y 1920".

Application led November` 16, 1918. Serial No. 262,900. 'l f- Attachments, of which the following is a' specification.. l

This invention relates to an attachment for supporting a ladder or step-ladder when used upon inelines, softhat the rungs or steps Y may be maintained in a horizontal position, and has forits object, broadly, to provide an appliance for this purpose consisting of few and simple parts so that it maybe economically manufactured, Will be convenient in The invention includes an attachment which may be secured to the ladder to remain permanently thereon and will be usefulwhen the support for theladder is inclined, as upon stairways or the like, and which, on account of certain adjustable features, will permit use of the ladder where the support is horizontal. y

The invention consists. of the novel con-. struction, combination and arrangement of partsgas described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing,

wherein,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device applied to a ladder, the inclined support` being a stairway. Fig.l 2 vshows a broken away part of a ladder with the device mounted thereon. Fig. 8 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, the device being in longitudinal section. Fig. l shows the outer side of the device, and Fig. 5 is a view of the inner side of the same. Fig. 6 is an end view of the device. Fig. 7 is a broken away view, partly in section, showing the lower part of the device and part of a ladder.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, numeral 8 indicates a stile or side member of a ladder, provided adjacent to its lower end, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, withl an aperture 9. I provide an eXtensible ladder foot 10. preferably tapered toward its upperend, and having slots 11 and l12 formed therein to open on its sides, these slots being disposed in alinement.

A single slot may be substituted for the slots 11 and 12, if desired, but the two. slots, as shown, are preferred, since it .provides a stronger construction, and permits the use of wood or similar material, which, when secured to the ladder, will not add appreciably to its weight. Y Y f At 13is indicated a bolt which is disposed in the aperture 9 of member 8, and it Will lbe 60 understood that the footl may be mounted upon the ladder by meansof this boltl and may be adjusted longitudinally of the ladder, since said bolt may be disposed in any part of the slots 11 or 12.. The bolt `13 car- 65 ries a yoke 14 for a seating upon the outer side and edges of the foot and means of a i wing-nut 15 the foot may be pressed firmly against the side of member 8, and when the ladder 'is thereafter used, leaning against a 70 wall 16 while supported upon a stairway 17 said ladder will adequately sustain any V weight incident to its use, the stresses being sustained, in part, by the pressure occasioned by use of the wing-nut 15 and,vin part,by 75 reason of the upwardly convergent walls of the foot. 5

ANumeral 18 indicates an L-shaped bracket pivotally mounted upon the upper `end of the foot by means ofthe bolt 19, the head of the bolt preferably being of disk-form and'being countersunk in the inner side .of thefoot; and by means ofthe wing-nut 20 the bracket l be pressed against the side of the foot; and it will be understoodthatwhena ladder is in use and is disposed inclinedly to the wall 17,'the wing. a of the bracket 18 will bear upon the edge` of said member 8in-`a manner to prevent any swinging movement of the footon the=bolt13 invone direction, 9o and thisis the function `to vbediseharged by... said bracket.

It will be noted that the bracket 18 may be swung substantially 18() degrees so that its wing a may engage either edge of member 8, as may be required, this being of great advantage when it is necessary to support the ladder upon a stairway with its stiles disposed inelinedly for engaging either of the opposed, vertical walls of a hallway. 1'00 It is obvious that, by removing the wing-nut, 20, the bracket 18 may be swung in anarc of 180 degrees, its wing a being moved from its engagement with one' edge of member 8 and moved into engagement with the op- 105 posite edge of said member 8, and by thisl simple adjustment, the device may be used as a support upon a stairway or the like in instances when it is required to incline the ladder against either-of the opposed walls, as

be preventedfrom sliding on ice or other smooth surfaces, I provide an impalingf member or tooth 21, adapted to b'e adjusted longitudinally of the foot under controlof 'a bolt 22 while disposed in a recess 23, said recess being formed in line with the slots 11V and 12 `and opening 'on the lower end of the foot, the bolt 22 engaging in the slot 12 and in'an aperture 24 formed in the tooth, near` its inner end, `the head' of the bolt preferably being of disk-form and seated in aV recess 25, opening -on the slot 12, vas best shown Vin F ig. 5..A .Y

As Athus described the tooth may be read'- ily adjusted longitudinally of the foot so that its lower end will not 'protrude beyond the lowerv end of the foot, as shown in F ig'.

. 7, orl it may be so disposed that it will .pro-

jectxa suitable distance, as plainly shown in the drawing, lsaid tooth sliding 'in therecess 23, and the bolt sliding in the lrecess 25, the wing-nut 26 operating to press the 'tooth against the foot, when adjusted, to prevent any movement t-h'ereof. Numeral -27 indicates 'a holder or plate which is secured upon the lower end of the foo't vto maintain the lower part of the tooth in its groove.

The L-shaped bracket 118 operates to maintain the` foot substantially parallel with member S, during use of the ladder. Y At'v28, Abest shown in 4, is indicated anv aperture provided for said bracket, this be'- ing convenient in connection with the bolt 19, so that the bracket may be adjusted transversely of the foot, 'since the stiles of ladders as well as the struts may have different widths. v

It will 'be understood thatchanges in form, size, proportion and minor details may be made in accordance with the `appended claims, may `be found to be of advantage. While shown and described in' connection with ladders, the device may, of, course,y be

used vfor other purposes.` It will be noted that the device may be readily applied and adjusted so that ladders may be used where the base support` has greater or lesser' inclinations. Also it will be seen that the pressure of the foot upon the side of the stile of a ladder, occasioned by the wing-nutl may be quite limited, since the foot is provided with the pair 'of opposed, upwardly convergent walls, which, in combination with theV bolt 13 and parts carried thereby,-operates ef i degrees to permit the wing to vengage the opposite edge 'of the ladder,- and means Lto Ihold 'the bracket in either position of ad' justm'ent. Y

v2. ncombin'ation with a ladder, an extensi'ble fot adj ustably :carried thereby and hav-ing'a llongitudinal slot therein with rece'sses fn the lower portions of the wallsof saifd slot, 'a tooth adjustable yin one Vof saidV recesses, 'a bolt having a'flat head n'iovablev longitudinally in the other of said recesses,

the bolt passingthrough said slot and 'engaging Vsaid tooth, a nut 'on the bolt 'for tightening the same to hold the tooth in any position 'of adjustment, and a strap over the recess to confine the tooth in place.

In testimony whereof I have Yafiixlid my signature-in resence of two witnesses.

Y FE DINAND A. LEHMANN.V Witnesses: l v

HIRAM A. STRGES, Y C; A. WILBU'R.

invention and desire 

